An Insight into Flexible Office Space in Sandton

June 2018 – Although it may be very tempting to rent traditional office space soon after you launch your business, it can be very risky when your business is still starting up since it adds pressure to your monthly expenses.

“As much as one wants to warn against moving into offices too soon, it’s also understandable why a lot of businesses decide to do so. They want a Receptionist who can answer the phone, they want a nice boardroom where they can meet with clients — it all adds to the level of professionalism a new company can offer,” says David Seinker, founder of The Business Exchange.

Seinker believes that a flexible working environment should easily allow start-up businesses to move from cost-effective virtual offices to shared offices or co-working spaces. Once they are more firmly established, a private office should then also be an option, without the aggravation of stringent leases and lengthy documentation to be completed again.

In line with global demands, workplace specialists, such as The Business Exchange, who offers flexible office space solutions providing private, virtual and shared office spaces, have also experienced an increased uptake of these spaces since 2017 as more people realise that co-working is not just for sole-entrepreneurs or millennials.

Many companies are acknowledging the impact that a diverse working environment can have on their growth, and larger businesses are increasingly making use of co-working spaces to lower their property costs, improve recruitment efforts and increase employee satisfaction.

Another trend coming through into the flexible office space environment is an emphasis on health. “We have added fully-equipped gyms with showers to some of our business centres and are currently offering Pilates classes to our tenants in an effort to reduce working isolation, increase community spirit and improve mental health,” says Seinker.

Technology is also an added benefit when businesses share office space. The rate at which technology is advancing with regards to connecting marketing efforts, security, meeting room bookings, environmental monitoring and other daily business elements, sometimes makes it impossible for a smaller business to keep up with or even to afford the technology. Sharing flexible offices space reduces these costs, yet still allows the benefits to be experienced.

“Each one of our business centres has its own personality,” says Seinker. “They are unlike because of the dynamics of the different people at each centre and the exchange of values between the various companies, which emphasises the important role that our tenant community plays. This dynamic also allows for a platform for business networking.”

The flexibility provided by shared office spaces means that a virtual or co-working tenant who only pops into the business centre for a few days a month may eventually become a long-term tenant after experiencing the tangible benefits that this flexibility offers.